1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computing systems and software, and more particularly to computer readable instructions for generating a user interface for interacting with software programs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many conventional software applications provide a user interface, that is, a mechanism for a user to direct the action of the software and to receive output from the software. For example, output in the form of menus and icons is presented to a user on a display device, and the user can select from the menus and icons to direct the functions that the application is to perform.
Many conventional user interface menus will present a vertically scrollable menu upon user selection. Selection of a given item in the vertically scrollable menu may cause a sub-menu that is also vertically scrollable to be rendered on the display adjacent to the main menu. Such conventional menus can occupy significant portions of the display. Furthermore, there may simply be practical limits to the number of menu items that can be packed into a conventionally vertically scrollable menu.
Certain types of modern smart phones include the ability to laterally scroll icons and in some cases lists, such as contacts or other items. The vertically scrollable menus are typically included as well.
Inkseine Ver. 1.2.I720.0 is a prototype software program produced by Microsoft Research of Microsoft Corporation and designed for digital inking on a Windows®-based tablet PC. The program includes a user interface that has a two-dimensional main menu ring. The main menu ring, actually in the form of an arc, is not scrollable, but designed to be activated by hovering a tablet PC pen or a cursor at selected locations on the tablet PC screen. Hovering over a main menu item brings up a sub-menu ring that is similarly not scrollable but designed also to be activated by hovering a tablet PC pen or a cursor. The number of icons that can be displayed on the main and sub-menus is presently limited to about ten or so.
The present invention is directed to overcoming or reducing the effects of one or more of the foregoing disadvantages.